Carl was still a kiddo. I was more idealistic then, too. Carl is just wrong.

 

What I want to know is how a man like Negan could ever be rehabilitated? How can someone who's basically been an absolute monarch in his community to the point where his people have to fall to their knees when he enters their presence, ever, just become one of guys following the directions of others?

It's his whole identity and he's stripped his people of their own with their "we" are Negan rhetoric. Why would our group want to keep him in a jail cell? Why not just keep a poisonous viper in your house. You never know when he'll strike in an attempt to regain his former glory. Unless you keep him in solitary 24/7 you never know how he might influence anyone who came into contact with him. I wouldn't want to take the chance. Look how he managed to talk Jadis out of killing him and then letting him go. Not a good idea.

 

Look, I get it. You think Negan is some kind of awesome, great guy that he is the only hope for survival for everyone, if they would only accept that they are all his slaves and live only as long as he permits it.

OH, and they have to meekly accept periodic torture when he's bored or feels offended.

Yeah, sounds like paradise.

 

Nah, there just comes a time when it is not worth it to keep arguing with someone who finds heroism and psychotic behavior to be the very same thing.

 

I agree Negan is needed because stories are usually made great by the villain even though everyone is focused on the hero.

But I dont agree that Negan is that good of a villain. To me, he is not that tough as a villain, nor is he believable and is not a character that makes me want to know more about him. He is not complex and just a typical villain where writers don't have much imagination. The writers are resorting to just making him cute and brutal and creative how he kills or controls people, but not great writing.

Things that I think are ridiculous
He never fights until the one scene with Simon. That is not Negan's typical behavior
He wears a leather jacket, really? He is like a professional wrestling character
He tries to be cute with his comments. I am sick of his leaned back stance....who came up with that?
Negan is all about his image. Looking cool, looking tough, looking macho, looking handsome, sounding cool, etc...so typical to get ratings

Personally the Governor was a much more creative villain and had me wondering what happened to the SOB to make him that way. He was secretly trying to hide his evil side, where Negan tries to boast of it. Governor did not do things for the show. Remember when Merle said to the Governor "I aint going to beg!"....the governor said no, and shot him. Negan would have given us a 20 minute dialog of how he will beg, how its time to get you shit pants on and how it will be eazy peazy lemon squeezey or how he has big balls or something cool. Governor was just like, your words have no impact on my actions. I was going to kill you anyway and I have other things to attend to. Governor in secret kept his daughter on a chain and in secret he kept heads of biters and he tortured in private and would kill anyone if they got in his way. He didn't kill like the Joker trys to kill batman or how Negan dreams up his killings for show. Governor just did it. Governor spent a lot of energy to make people think he was good, Negan spends a lot energy to make people think he is cool and bad.